The Last
by IZZY-CHAN13
Summary: Oh dear. Danny's in a rut this time. And he has "no idea what's going on". And out of the hole will come one who will aid his waning sanity, deteriorating his very being when he finally discovers the answer to the question he never knew...
1. Screaming Aloud

What's going on— I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be here. What happened? My God it's so cold. Why is everyone fanning themselves?

I'm shivering!

Where is everyone?

Where is she?!

"Order, order!"

Maybe if I… awake. This is not happening. Everything was just a dream; I'll be sent back to Kokomo, Indiana, safe and sound. Stop banging that wood…

"We the grand jury are here today—

Help me!

What I wouldn't give to see her again… ha ha, to think she never cared for me before. I didn't care. I just wanted her to get a taste of life again. She's really cute, a great dancer, lovely singer. A whole lot of potential. After all what we had to do to shine in Hollywood, Darla didn't seem to be so bad after all. I keep on wondering where Max went though—

Cranston, and Tilly! I see 'em! Why aren't they…

Did I do something wrong? All of them are here, except Darla. Maybe she's too young for this sort of thing. Who is he standing...

"I speak for Daniel when I say—

I never remember contracting him. What did I do?

Hm, almost time for that rehearsal, three minutes to one…

I always do enjoy a good rehearsal…

Oh! Everyone's looking at me again! I always wanted to be in the limelight, but not like this…!

Help me!!

They're in shock… Why?!

No— Stop pointing at me!

What did I _do?!_

What happened??

Why am I here?!

HELP ME.

How come there's flashing lights all of a sudden??

I'm surrounded by more and more people this is nuts!

This is _loony!_

My God, the press! They seem fairly excited—

Maybe, maybe this was all just an act.

I forgot that the movie had a court scene like this!

The cameras are everywhere! How come you're asking me so many questions?!

Eh— Sawyer?

Wait, that isn't her…

Ouch! "Watch the head!"

I think it's gonna be an ugly bruise.


	2. Hello Friends

Oh boy.

They're everywhere. They're huge. I don't know what I was thinking when I said it was cold before. I'm freezing—

I'm in an icebox!

Wow it got warm just now.

Maybe I deserved that, but what the hey—

"New boot eh?"

Who? I'm a boot? "Me?"

"Definitely—

"Guys he's a celebrity he's famous for crying out loud—

"Well his fame will blow the roof off this place once I'm through with him!"

Golly they're huge.

I think it's copper.

Tastes nasty.

They're everywhere. The bright yellow stars.

Wonder how everyone else is. Bet they're having much more fun than I am.

Hey,

"Sawyer?" _Sawyer? _"Is that you?"

Don't look at me like that darling—

"I'll be fine."

Stop pulling me away! I should break the window—

"Wow look at that kid squirm!"

"Heh heh he's _crazy!_"

Why is everyone laughing?

First they're mad or sad. Now they're laughing.

Stupid bruise. Ow.

"Lights Out!"

How'd it get so dark?

* * *

"That was… mighty interesting to hear."

"Exactly. Of course it was"

"So, what does this have to do with me?"

"You want it back don't you?"

"What?"

"Want it back. Oh I know you do."

Prodding chin, "Funny, I've never seen you before."

Someone else echoed, "That's not Sawyer!"

"Oh shut up. And stop grinning like a dead fool."

"That's what he's gonna end up being if he doesn't watch his back."

The other laughed, "Oh he'll just might be dead within a week."

An absent chuckle, "Who are you again?"

The one to answer ripped off her bandana, "See?"

"Ah yes frizzy as usual. Such a shame that you lost your lifelong companion—

"Of what, 6 years?" An open palm struck across his face—

"Hush with your snide remarks!"

"Just what kind of deal are you suggesting?" a girl folded her arms.

A bit of soot crawled beneath the other's twitching nose,

"Well" rubbing for a second, "let's put it this way. We do our job, clearing out the way for you to restore sense to that little world of yours."

"Yeah, right."

* * *

"I still can't believe it. We were all parched in that stuffy room and I still can't believe it."

A lady tugged at her bow while fanning herself away.

"I need another drink." A waft of smoke slithered by.

"Well don't we all! Kid's lost his marbles. He can't last very long in the slammer; last time I checked he dreaded the very mention of the authorities! Heh, 'then why are you still here?' Playing us for saps he did."

A punch to the goat's face was hindered by an unknown source,

"Aw, poor Danny."

"Sure oh sure poor Daniel hah!" the snake was killed off in the crystal ashtray.

The hippo gave a withering sigh, "I hope Sawyer's doing well."

"She's upstairs."

Cranston kept tapping away at his cane, brows furrowed tightly together—a sudden strong grip on the handle forced him up, brusquely towards the radio at the end of the bar. There he took a seat in front of the wood-framed speakers and groaned when the event glossed itself over once more—

_ZZZZzzzZZ! _

"— I'm telling you it's not true! All of it it's not true—

_Zzz!_

"I was _framed!_ You hear me—FRAMED.—

The elephant could not bear to hear it any longer. The knob was twisted until the screeching and blaring sounds gave way to flowing Sinatra vocals—

"_Fly me to the moon; let me play among the stars…_

"I should just hop on the next train to there now."

Knowing that he would burst into sobs at the mere sight of a lifeless creature at the stand, Wooly the Mammoth refused to attend—but the station wasn't much help to provide evidence of the tabby's distraught, mad claim "I was framed".

He took out a handkerchief and patted at his damp forehead. Hollywood, Los Angeles was at an all-time high of heat and sun. Everything would have been just dandy had it not been for the humidity.

"Oh tish-tosh." With a slow sure effort he made his way back to the kitchen, where he found T.J and Pudge, sitting hunched over the table, prodding away at their crumpets and barely taking a sip of their legume tea, just as they were about an hour ago. More confused and anxious than everyone else was the penguin kid. When the floor creaked under his heavy feet the kid rushed to the old man's side—

"What'd they say about him? Is he okay? What did they do to him? Where is he?"

A grunt, "he's_ fine._"

"I don't believe you Wooly-er- I mean, _sir.._"

The turtle took an ill sip of his tea again.

"Do you think we would have been better off if you had served us lemonade instead? It's scorching!—

T.J. tugged forever on his tightly bound collar—.. "I'm about to take off my shell if his keeps up!"

"Good God keep your decency man!—

"turtle."

"Keep your decency!" a gruff emphasis spoken between tusks.

The pint-size penguin twitched in slight disturbance, then peered up at Wooly with that same questioning look, "Why couldn't we go and see ourselves? I miss him."

T.J. fixed his red bowtie and reached for his bowler hat, "We all do, Pudge." He sighed.

Not a moment later he walked towards the front of Mr. Mammoth's house—

"Where do you think you're going at such an hour?"

"Home."

Despite the intense heat, the sun was nearly reaching the horizon.

"You're never going to find a bus this late in the evening! Keep in mind these are the outskirts! The city's more than an hour away!"

Pudge just stood there, face glum by the fact that another one of his friends was leaving.

" Don't worry about me. I ordered a taxicab not too long before I left— A sudden honk— "that's the one." He put the brim to rest on the green dome, "That should do it."

The elephant let out a less-than-happy chuckle, "I forgot," solemnly stating, "I forget how wealthy we are to demand such a service from our fellow animals. It's near derogative—

"Cya Mr. Mammoth sir, Pudge." The door was shut with the old man just standing there speechless…

Another sigh, "The last he could do is stay and listen on what I have to say…"

The kid still stood there watching anxiously as the elephant sulked towards the open drawing room, and then back again, seeming as if he had forgotten something,

"Oh dear me where are my own matters?"

"Hm?"

A flat heavy hand gestured toward the nearby couches near an empty fireplace, "Sit. Make yourself comfortable while I prepare a room for you—

"Oh no Mr. Mammoth—sir, I can do it myself."

The old elephant shut his eyes slowly.

"All right young chap—take the room down the hallway; to your left. I'm pretty sure I left some fresh linen there to your liking—

The kid giggled, "It's funny."

"What's funny about what now?"

"You're rich now; can't you just get a servant to do all this for you?"

A sudden scoff nearly injected some new life into Wooly's physique, "Well! I may be wealthy but that sure won't cause me to become a lazy good-for-nothing slob like everyone else would it?" Sudden grumbles; the kid was no longer smiling.

"Okay sir, good night." He peered up again at the massive creature, and gave his flipper to his retracted trunk.

The kid let go slowly, looked again over his hunched shoulder, and left to find that bedroom.

The elephant sat down in the armchair next to the mantle and reached for a pile of papers. He sorted them out, crumpling anything that was considered trash until he found parchment spotted with peanut tea stains, still smelling sweet on the musty surface . . . The music notes compiled together reminded him of those years that had come and gone:

~~~ "Well this is a strange tune."

"Yeah of course! It has to be nice and hip! Fresh and new! Rhythm galore!— Amazing! I wish I know how to write music sheets like you do, Mr. Mammoth! Er—Wooly."

A bellowing laugh— "Ha! That girl ought to watch her step! This is well worth the competition!"

"Even better!" The orange tabby was grinning ear-to-ear— "Well worth the _adventure!_ And best of all, we're gonna have a whole new set of stars in town!" ~~~

The handkerchief was put under the elephant's reddened eye. The wave of nostalgia ended with a deep, tearful sigh—

"Oh, Daniel. What have they done to you?"


End file.
